Meet The Team

Amanda Meachin - Chief Executive Officer

What do you love about your job?

Working with a great team of people and seeing them shine. Learning about our lives and how the world works, being surprised every day at what it throws up.

What are you passionate about?

Social justice - I believe that every person should have access to the same opportunities to allow them to help themselves and improve their quality of life.

Hobbies & Interests

Holidays, cooking, gardening, swimming, eating & drinking. I try to spend as much time as possible with family & friends.

What else drives you?

I'm a lifelong Clarets fan and I get huge enjoyment and pride, going to Turf Moor to watch Burnley FC.

Amin Vepari - Operations Manager

What do you love about Your Job?

Working with a diverse range of businesses, finding out what they do and supporting their development and growth. Having a great set of mentors who work very hard to help clients achieve their goals.

What are you passionate about?

Family values and appreciating what you have.

Hobbies & Interests

PS3, sleeping, creative culinary skills (aka cooking!), travelling and spending time with family and friends.

What else drives you?

Manchester United and our legendary manager who has just celebrated 25 years in charge and his never say die attitude that has cemented the club's status as a global institution.

Jan Calderbank - Operations Director

What do you love about Your Job?

My great team and volunteers who work tirelessly to deliver our projects and engage with our communities to offer opportunities and support for a better, safer place to live and work.

What are you passionate about?

People, I love to engage with people from all different walks of life, it is so very interesting to share our experiences.

Hobbies & Interests

Foreign travel, cooking, hosting dinner, walking and wildlife.

What else drives you?

My wonderful family and friends mean the world to me.

Jane Houghton-Fenning - Business Development Director

What do you love about your job?

Working with our amazing mentors and coaching associates that we have built up relationships with over many years. Their professionalism and expertise never cease to amaze me along with their ongoing passion for supporting business leaders throughout the North West. Meeting like minded business support partners who share my enthusiasm for best practice.

What are you passionate about?

Equity - I believe everyone should be entitled to justice and this should not be affected by their intellectual capacity.

Hobbies & Interests

Travel, films, being a magistrate and all aspects of real estate.

Joanne Hacking - Customer Service Manager

What do you love about your job?

Definitely the people I work with.......that's what gets me through the door on cold dark Monday mornings!

What are you passionate about?

Having a good work/life balance as I believe it is important to have quality time with friends and family.

Hobbies & Interests

Good food, good wine, I'm a bit of a film geek, going to the gym (to run off all that food and wine), music, designing & making jewellery, taking my lovely dog Hamilton on long walks, and travelling.

What else drives you?

Pushing yourself to try new things; once to see if you like it, twice just to make sure!

Lesley Bloomfield - Data & Accounts Manager

What do you love about Your Job?

I'm a geek so anything which involves data analysis or solving problems. I really enjoy the accounts side of the role too.

What are you passionate about?

My family. Good customer service. I like people to be positive and happy.

Hobbies & Interests

Great holidays, reading, cooking, spending time with my friends and family, walking. I'm currently studying for my AAT qualifications so this takes up a lot of my time.

What else drives you?

Helping people, if there is an easy way to do something then I'll find it, why fill your life with complications?

Julie Astley - Energy Zone Manager

What do you love about Your Job?

Working with wonderful people, my colleagues, volunteers and centre users. Every day is different but there is always someone with a smile. I enjoy the variety of activities and projects available for local people.

What are you passionate about?

Spending time with my family and friends is precious to me, especially the time I spend with my daughter in Australia. I love being around people.

Hobbies & Interests

Holidays, socialising with friends, spa day pampering and walking.

What else drives you?

I strongly believe that everyone should been given the same opportunities in life.

Joanne Mason - SAMS Supervisor

What do you love about Your Job?

The job is so varied. You never know what you will be offered next! It give me a real buzz when new people come to visit and 'wow' at all the resources we have available.

What are you passionate about?

I love spending time with my family, in particular my niece and nephew.

Hobbies & Interests

Camping (only in the summer months!), holidays, weekends away.

Amy King - Business Administration Apprentice

What do you love about Your Job?

I have only been in my role a short time, but I enjoy working with the team and helping the mentors. I also like the unique approach to business that the company has, which helps me to learn and grow.

Hobbies & Interests

I love to read, the majority being paranormal fiction, but I also enjoy greek mythology. I enjoy cooking and spending time with family and friends.

Donna Talbot - Project Co-ordinator

What do you love about Your Job?

The People….. I love that I am lucky enough to be involved with wonderful people and that I have a chance to work with them and support them. I also love the variety of things I do when working with the community no two days are the same it really is a very rewarding job.

What are you passionate about?

Equality and fairness ….we have a long way to go to ensure that everyone is given an equal chance in life.

Hobbies & Interests

Cooking

What else drives you?

My wonderful family

Jemma Warburton - Project Co-ordinator

What do you love about Your Job?

I love meeting and working with lot's of different people of all ages. I enjoy seeing and tasting what is grown here and learning about what we can actually grow ourselves. I love the great team we have here at the Energy Zone and the daily laughter.

What are you passionate about?

I am passionate about helping others through difficult times. I recently started voluntary work with the homeless at a drop in session and I am really enjoying it.

Hobbies & Interests

I love to travel when I can, especially alone with my daughter as it's a great adventure. I enjoy playing badminton, swimming and spending time with my daughter.

What else drives you?

Helping my daughter reach her full potential in life. People being happy.